Virginia Pine

Pinus virginiana

The
Virginia Pine is autotrophic and gets its nutrients from the soil and through
photosynthesis! The chloroplasts, which contain chlorophyll,
in the cell walls of the pine needles allow for the gain of
energy from the sun. In photosynthesis, the Virginia Pine
uses the energy from the sun, water, and Carbon dioxide, to
produce glucose for the plant and to give off oxygen and water
back to the environment.

Light Reactions
1) The light from the sun enters the
needle and is absorbed by the
chlorophyll that initiates the synthesis of organic molecules
in the
chloroplast. The chloroplasts are located in the interior
tissues of
the pine needle.
2) Water absorbed through the roots is
transported to the pine
needles through the vascular tissues
3) Light energy is converted to chemical
energy in the form of NADPH
( source of electrons) and ATP (energy currency of cells).Calvin Cycle
1) Carbon dioxide enters into the
needle, and is added to the organic
molecules within the chloroplast. (Carbon Fixation)
2) The Carbon dioxide is then reduced to
carbohydrates by the
addition of electrons in NADPH and ATP, which produces glucose (sugar) for
the Virginia Pine to use as a
food/energy source.

Another
major part of the nutrition in the
Virginia Pine is their interaction with
arbuscular endomycorrhizae. This is a
type of fungi that lives in
mutualism
with plants. This fungi begins to grow
toward the roots of the plant, and once
they are in contact, the arbuscular
endomycorrhizae starts to grow alongside
the root's surface. The fungi penetrates
the roots with hyphae, between the root
cortex and the epidermal layer of tissue
in the roots. This fungi helps the plant
take up more nutrients from the soil in
exchange for nutrients. There is an
exchange of phosphorus, carbon, water,
and other important nutrients. The
Arbuscular endomycorrhizae has also
shown to have helped the Virginia Pine
and other plants by making toxins to
repel herbivores or can also increase
the plant's tolerance for heat and
drought.

The Virginia Pine survives
through a wide range of temperatures as
well. Varying from 25 to 40 degrees F,
all the way up to 70-75 degrees F. The
climate is mostly classified as humid,
and not an extreme amount of rainfall
reaches these organisms. These organisms
are specialized in surviving in dry
environments, so the little rainfall is
perfect for them. However, because of
their ability to photosynethsize for
food, there is never a shortage of
nutrients. Even in the winter time when
there is less sun, the Virginia Pine has
plenty of stored energy. The energy in
these pines is stored as starch.